Structure of a lid of easy open can

ABSTRACT

A container can be easily opened, particularly to a container opened under more hygienic and pollution free condition. Easy open end can be improved by forming a tear strip on its surface, the tear strip is circumvent by a score line; the tear strip is riveted with a tab by a rivet; further the tear strip is divided into a front and a rear tear strips, a folded line between the front and rear strips can be applied to bend downward the rear tear strip close to the front tear strip; a folded line between the rear tear strip and the lid can be applied to bend the rear tear strip close to the lid; and the front tear strip is riveted adjacent to a nose of the tab by rivet.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a container can be easily opened,particularly to a container opened under more hygienic and pollutionfree condition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional lid, so called easy open end, of an easy open can isequipped with a tab and a tear panel; the tab and the tear panel areriveted together by a rivet inserted with both heads larger than thediameter of the hole into which the rivet has been inserted. One head ofthe rivet is retained the original type, the other head finished byclinching metal after the rivet has been inserted. A user lifts a fingerto grip a nose of the tab upward, thereby, a force exerted by a tablikely a leverage at an inclined angle to rip a tear panel apart from alid according to a score line formed approximately at a center of thelid, as usual, the tear panel with the tab is first pulled apart fromthe lid a little, and then a lid may be totally separated from a can. Auser may directly sip or gulp down beverage from such an easy open end.After use, a useless lid, perhaps only a tab with tear panel should bedeserted by a user one by one, when they are sequentially separated fromthe end of a can; eventually the wasted lid or tab with tear panel asscattered debris lead to destruction and pollution of the environment.

Point against aforesaid problems, persons skilled in the art providedlid of easy open can such as TW 204323 entitled “Easy open end and itsmanufacturing method” assigned to Toyo Seikan Kaisha Ltd., on Apr. 21,1993. In which, Toyo disclosed that a tab having a cambered nose at adistant end is coupled to a center of an easy open end by rivet. Both abeginning and an end of a score line are converged toward in front ofthe rivet, and a clearance retained between the beginning and the end ofthe score line can be used as a junction of a hinge connected to thelid. Thereby, the nose of the tab can be operated to press a tear paneldownward to open the can. The lid situated beneath the nose of the tabhas a concaved pit for receiving the nose. This concaved pit isslantwise, not stepwise, formed along the score line. Thus the tab willnot break away from the easy open end, even the can opened by pullingapart the tab together with the tear panel. Thus the tab and the tearpanel within a lid kept hung over the opened can, which can be recycledintegrally as a whole, thereby the easy open end is pollution free oncefor all.

According to TW 204323, the nose of the tab is pressed downward to opena can. A user can gulp down the beverage from the opened can to hismouth directly. Though the tab and the tear panel are kept hung over thelid along a score line formed with concaved pit, the nose can bereceived therein. But a tear panel ripped apart from a lid must be firstpressed downward, further lowered at an inclined angle to immerse withinthe beverage fully reserved in the can. Dirt or filth may be gathered atthe surface of a can lid for a longer while, therefore, the beveragecontained in the opened can, if not splash wet the user, is to becontaminated by such immersed tear panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is to provide an improved structureof a lid of easy open can comprising: a can 1, and a lid 2 seamlesslywelded to the can 1; said lid 2 has a tear strip 20 on its surface, thetear strip 20 is formed integrally within a lid 2, only a score linebetween them can be used to separate the tear strip 20 from the lid 2;the tear strip 20 is further riveted with a pull tab 3 by a rivet 4characterized in that, the tear strip 20 is divided into a front and arear tear strips 21,22, a folded line 23 between the front and rearstrips can be applied to bend downward the front tear strip 21; a foldedline 24 between the foldable rear tear strip 22 and the lid 2 can beapplied to rip the rear tear strip 22 apart from the lid; and the fronttear strip 21 is riveted adjacent to a nose 32 of the pull tab 3 byrivet 4.

An improved structure of a lid of easy open can as mentioned abovewherein a boss 25 is projected from a surface of the front tear strip 21in front of the rivet 4 by punching.

An improved structure of a lid of easy open can as mentioned abovewherein two bosses 26 are projected from a surface of the rear tearstrip 22 by punching, they are distributed in symmetry, both bosses 26are opposite to each other.

An improved structure of a lid of easy open can as mentioned abovewherein a groove 27 is formed on a surface of the lid 2 by punching.

An improved structure of a lid of easy open can as mentioned abovewherein two ends of the score line 20 are bent outward and diverged fromthe score line.

The merits and advantages can be achieved by embodiments of the presentinvention as following:

A nose 32 of the tab 3 is pressed downward to force the front tear strip21 further depressed downward to rip apart from the opening 28, the tab3 is consecutively pulled backward and then pressed downward again;whereby, the front and rear tear strips 21,22 first a little inclineddownward and then pulled backward and folded up to stack together abovethe lid in parallel, in other words, a pair of bi-packed front and reartear strips are pulled out of the can lid but not separated from it.Neither the tear strip 20 is led into the opening 28, nor the beverageis contaminated by the tear strip dropped off from the can lid. Tearstrips 21,22 are opposite to each other; both of them are folded up togive way to form an opening on the can lid. Tear strips 21,22 are notonly retained on the lid 2, but also a space occupied by the folded uptear strips is reduced. That is, to facilitate the users drink beveragefrom the easy open can, but the tear strips will not be separated fromthe lid.

Bosses 25,26 formed on the surface of the front, rear tear strips 21, 22by punching can enhance the structure of the tear strip 20 to preventthe tear strip from deformation.

Groove 27 formed on the surface of the lid 2 behind the rear tear strip22 can enhance the structure between the lid 2 and the rear tear strip22 to prevent the lid from deformation.

Both ends of the score line are bent outward and diverged from the scoreline can prevent the tear strip 20 from deformation after ripping apartfrom the lid 2.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the easy open can of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional view of the lid of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a top plan view of the tear strip of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a first action of the tear strip ofthe present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional view of the lid of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a second action of the tear strip ofthe present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a cross sectional view of the lid of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a third action of the tear strip ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 9 shows a cross sectional view of the lid of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The description is described in detail according to the appendeddrawings hereinafter.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a perspective and a cross sectional views ofthe lid are illustrated. In which, an easy open can 10 includes a can 1,and a lid 2 seamlessly welded to the can 1. A tear strip 20 is disposedon the lid 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the structure of the tear strip 20 isillustrated. Such tear strip and the lid are integrally formed. But acircumference of the tear strip 20 is bound and connected to the lid 2by a score line, which can be used to separate the tear strip from thelid. To prevent the tear strip 20 form breaking away the lid 2, bothends of the score line can be formed as curved lines 29 bent outward anddiverged from the score line; said tear strip 20 can be divided into afront tear strip 21 and a rear tear strip 22, a joint between thefoldable front and the rear tear strips 21,22 can be formed as a foldedline 23, across which bends the front tear strip 21 toward the rearstrip 22. But a joint between the rear tear strip 22 and the lid 2 canbe formed as a folded line 24, across which rips the rear tear strip 22apart from the lid. Next, a surface of the front tear strip 21 isriveted together with a tab 3 adjacent to its nose by riveting.

Moreover, a cambered boss 25 is formed on a surface facing outward ofthe front tear strip 21 by punching; the cambered boss 25 is located infront of the rivet 4 by punching. Two cambered bosses 26 are formed on asurface facing outward of the rear tear strip 21 by punching; bothcambered bosses 26 are opposite to each other and distributedsymmetrically in left and right relationship on the rear tear strip 22.A cambered groove 27 is formed on a surface facing outward of the reartear strip 22 by punching; the cambered groove 27 is located behind therear tear strip 22. All of the cambered bosses 25,26 and the camberedgroove 27 are formed to enhance the structure of the tear strip 20 andthe lid 2.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a perspective and a cross sectional views ofthe first action of the tear strip are illustrated. When a ring shapedsecond end 31 of the tab 3 is pulled upward, the tab is based on therivet 4 as a pry to exert a force; therefore, a first end of the tab 3,that is, a nose 32 can be pressed downward, further ripped along thescore line, which is bordered in between the front tear strip 12 and thelid, apart from the lid 2 to form an opening 28. And the front tearstrip 21 is bent downward across the folded line 23; according to theprinciple of leverage, when the tab 3 has an input arm larger than theoutput arm, a labor-saving effect can be obtained.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a perspective and a cross sectional views ofthe second action of the tear strip are illustrated, which areconsecutive to the first action views depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5. Whenthe user pulls out the tab 3 backward, the rear tear strip 22 will beerected rearward across the folded line 24. At the same time, the fronttear strip 21 will be pulled out from the opening 28 following the reartear strip 22 further to raise above the lid in parallel and supportedby the upright rear tear strip 22. Therefore, the front tear strip 21will be separated from the opening 28 until the rear tear strip 22 isupright illustrated as shown in FIG. 7. The second action is thereforecompleted.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a perspective and a cross sectional views ofthe third action are illustrated, which are also consecutive to thesecond action views depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7. The tab 3 is furtherpulled rearward and then pressed downward; therefore, the rear tearstrip 22 reclined rearward and downward across the folded line 24 closeto the lid 2. Furthermore, the front tear strip 21 is pressed downwardacross the folded line 23 close to the reclined tear strip 22. As aresult, the tear strip 20 is formed as bi-pack tear strip folded up andstacked together in parallel above the lid 2. That is not only spaceeconomical, but the user can drink the beverage from the can moreeasily. And the tear strip 20 is clung to the lid 2 in parallel; thetear strip 20 will not be dropped off into the opening 28.

Said front and rear tear strips 21,22, can be folded up to give way toform the opening 28 fully opened out, and both tear strips 21, 22retained on the lid 2. In comparison to the conventional easy open can,both front and rear tear strips 21,22 of the present invention arefolded up on the lid 2 parallel to the lid, the tear strip will not dropoff into the easy open can to contaminate the beverage.

What is claim claimed:
 1. An improved structure of a lid of easy opencan comprising: a can, and a lid seamlessly welded to the can; said lidhas a tear strip on its surface, the tear strip is formed integrallywithin a lid, only a score line between them can be used to separate thetear strip from the lid; the tear strip is further riveted with a tab bya rivet characterized in that; the tear strip is divided into a frontand a rear tear strips a folded line between the front and rear stripscan be applied to bend downward the front tear strip; a folded linebetween the foldable rear tear strip and the lid can be applied to ripthe rear tear strip apart from the lid; and the front tear strip isriveted adjacent to a nose of the tab by rivet.
 2. An improved structureof a lid of easy open can as claimed in claim 1 wherein a boss isprojected from a surface of the front tear strip in front of the rivetby punching.
 3. An improved structure of a lid of easy open can as claim1 claimed wherein two bosses are projected from a surface of the reartear strip by punching, they are distributed in symmetry, both bossesare opposite to each other.
 4. An improved structure of a lid of easyopen can as claim 1 claimed wherein a groove is formed on a surface ofthe lid by punching.
 5. An improved structure of a lid of easy open canas claim 1 claimed wherein two ends of the score line are bent outwardand diverged from the score line.